A next-generation drone currently in development could fit in a soldier's pocket.

The Cargo Pocket Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance drone, or Cargo Pocket ISR, is built on pre-existing, off-the-shelf technologies.

The design, according to the military, is based on a consumer-grade design.

Prox Dynamics' PD-100 Black Hornet, a palm-sized miniature helicopter weighing only 16 grams, has the ability to fly up to 20 minutes while providing real-time video via a digital data link from one of the three embedded cameras and operates remotely with GPS navigation. Tiny, electric propellers and motors make the device virtually undetectable to subjects under surveillance.

All that remains to be changed to make the device military-grade is a reworking of the way the drone deals with data. It has to be more secure if it wants to connect to the Cargo Pocket ISR. Pocket-sized drones could make surveillance and recon much safer for soldiers in combat zones.